Critics attack 'secrecy' of Archbishop selection

One of the country’s leading Anglican priests has attacked the “secrecy”
surrounding the appointment of the next archbishop of Canterbury, amid
claims that the committee making the choice has been unable to reach a
decision.

Dr Giles Fraser said there was "no good reason for secrecy".Photo: Jane Mingay

Dr Giles Fraser, former canon chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, said there was “no good reason for secrecy. “[It] always looks like an Establishment stitch up,” he said. “We ought to have open elections.”

He spoke amid confusion over who will succeed Dr Rowan Williams as the leader of the Anglican church.

The 16 men and women on the Crown Nominations Commission met in secret for three days last week, with the aim of choosing a new spiritual head of the Church of England.

They were widely expected to make a decision by Friday night, putting forward a name - with a second, fall-back option - to the Prime Minister and ultimately the Queen. But no news on their progress has been forthcoming, apart from a brief statement saying: “The work of the Commission continues.”

This has prompted speculation of a stalemate, with no two candidates able to attract 11 votes, the two-thirds majority required in the blind ballot for their names to go through.

However, the process was defended this weekend by one man who has been named as a contender for archbishop. The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Rev Nick Baines, said: “Sometimes discipline has to be kept. If you were the candidate, what would you want?”

The bishop, whose chances are quoted by the bookmakers at 25/1, told The Sunday Telegraph: “Giles Fraser confuses secrecy with confidentiality.”

The Rt Rev Justin Welby, the 56-year-old Bishop of Durham, is thought to be the front-runner, and the members of the Commission may have agreed that his name should be on the list of two - but found themselves divided over who should be with him.

The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, saw his odds on becoming archbishop drop dramatically last week, but there have been claims from within his diocese that he is now out of the race.

His traditionalist views on sexuality and the ordination of women put him at odds with at least three of the Commission members. They include the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who is there to represent the Anglican Communion worldwide.

However, it is possible that the Commission has made a decision and chosen not to say so. Its chairman Lord Luce is known not to want any details of the Commission’s progress to reach the public domain until the new Archbishop’s name is announced by Downing Street.

Bishop Baines said this weekend: “If they came up with a decision on Friday, that person then has to be approached. They may need time to consider whether to accept the job or not and it has got to go through the usual processes, including a medical and a criminal records check, before an announcement can be made. I think the statement was just saying, 'Don’t hold your breath.’”

The bishop could not say whether he was on the list of people being considered for Archbishop last week. “I don’t know whether I’m on it or not,” he said. “There is so much speculation about stuff that people cannot know. I think people need to get a life and go for a walk.”

A Church spokesman said the commission was working to its own timetable and would not be influenced by pressure from outside. He responded to Dr Fraser’s call for an open election by saying that this was already an electoral process, both in the way the two names were chosen and in the make-up of the commission. “The CNC is a committee of the General Synod, whose members are elected.”

He went on: “There is a case to be made for confidentiality. This process is comparable to an appointment to run any major organisation. If anyone applied for a job like that, they wouldn’t expect to find out whether they had got it or not by reading the newspapers.”

The process to choose the next Archbishop began earlier in the year with a widespread public consultation, calling for the views of people of all faiths and none. However, once the members of the Commission began to meet, they were told not to release any details of their progress or discussions.

The Commission is made up of six members of the General Synod and six clergy and lay people from the diocese of Canterbury, as well as two bishops, in addition to Dr Morgan and Lord Luce.

By convention, the Prime Minister confirms the first name on the list of two, and this is approved by the Queen, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Once a candidate is chosen, he must undergo three final formalities. An external doctor will carry out a full physical medical examination. A criminal records check will be conducted in line with the usual procedure for any new clerical appointment in the Church, which could take up to a month.

The successful bishop will also be asked to read out the Declaration of Assent, to “affirm” and “declare” his belief in the Church of England’s faith.

If anything should happen during this process to rule out the candidate then the second name on the list will be asked to take his place.